Consumers today utilize a variety of devices, such as desktop computers, smart phones, tablet computers, etc., to access online services (e.g., email applications, Internet services, television services, etc.), purchase products, services, and/or content online, and/or perform other online tasks. Information associated with the consumers (e.g., personal information, credit card numbers, etc.) may be shared with enterprises (e.g., businesses, government agencies, etc.) that provide such products, services, and/or content so that the consumers can access and interact with the enterprises in an efficient manner. However, many consumers do not permit such information to be shared with enterprises even when the enterprises may provide valuable products, services, and/or content to the consumers. One reason that consumers do not share their information is the fear that the information may be used for improper purposes, such as credit card theft, identity theft and fraud purposes, etc.
Enterprises are constantly trying to find out as much about consumers as possible so that such companies can market appropriate products, services, and/or content to the consumers. However, most enterprises know very little about the consumers of their products, services, and/or content. Until consumers permit their information to be readily shared with the enterprises, neither consumers nor the enterprises will benefit from the information.
Consumer concern about privacy (e.g., tracking, unexplained observation and aggregation of data, etc.) is high and may adversely impact many enterprises. A baseline of clear protections for consumers provides greater certainty for both consumers and enterprises. As envisioned, consumer rights may include individual control, transparency, respect for context, security, access and accuracy, focused collection of data, and accountability. Consumers may have the right to exercise control over what personal data enterprises collect from the consumers and how the enterprises use the personal data. Consumers may also have the right to expect that the personal data will be collected, used, and disclosed in ways that are consistent with a context in which the consumers provide the personal data.
Context-aware computing is the concept of leveraging context information about a consumer (e.g., utilizing a variety of devices) to improve a quality of an interaction with an enterprise. Context-aware computing may include a method by which new experiences are constructed that blend information from mobile, social, digital, and physical world sources.